Man of the House: John Travolta

He's a licensed pilot and a disco-dancing icon; recently, he became a Baltimore housewife — so convincingly that there's Oscar buzz about a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his campy gender-bending turn in the hit musical Hairspray. Another label that applies to star John Travolta: certified Christmas nut. "We start planning months in advance," Travolta says of holidays with wife Kelly Preston, son Jett, 15, and daughter Ella, 7.

When I was 8, I got a little toy propeller plane: You could turn it on and the people disappeared from the little windows and stewardesses appeared, and it ran along the ground. I was so obsessed with airliners, and my mother and sister pitched in and got me that toy, even though it was expensive for them.

Q: What is the best gift you've given?

Before I was well-known, I had a $5 budget, total, to buy everyone's gifts — and I had 12 people on my list. But I went to a thrift store called Thrifty's, and I wound up getting some of the most clever gifts I've ever given, because I had to put so much thought into each one. I got my sister Ellen this ultra-suede wallet with little compartments, and she had it for 10 years. I got my brother-in-law, who was a smoker, an antique cigarette lighter. I got one of my nieces a little set of barrettes. The experience really taught me that you can spend a thousand dollars on someone, and it's useless if you didn't put any thought into it: "Oh, I got them a designer blah-blah." Well, is it a designer they like? Is it something they want? I still shop on my own for everyone in my family, and I make sure I get something I've heard them talk about during the year, or something they'll really cherish.

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Q: Holidays can be stressful sometimes. How do you like to unwind?

I love watching old movies, and some of the holiday-themed ones are really great. I also have a bizarre thing that I'll do: I'll turn on a foreign-language TV station, usually Spanish, and watch a whole show, riveted, even though I have no idea what anyone is saying. I don't know why I find that so addictive, but I do!

Q: What are your plans this Christmas?

We'll be in Maine, as always. We'll stay for about three weeks, and celebrate the entire time. Christmas, for us, always lasts much longer than just one day.